It's a Long Way Down
by Mmegreek
Summary: Anya's life is falling apart. With no future at hand, the only thing she can turn to is cocaine. After promising to Owen that she will stop, he has a hard time believing her. Can Anya stay clean, or will she lose everyone that she loves, including Owen?
1. Just Face It

Chapter 1: Just Face It

Anya MacPherson woke up feeling absolutely disgusting. Her head was pounding, her stomach felt like it was on a rollercoaster, and her hands were shaking. If she hadn't remembered what happened the night before, Anya would have assumed that a bus ran over her multiple times. Realizing that that buzzing noise wasn't coming from her head, but was in fact coming from the alarm clock on her nightstand, she angrily turned it off, barely able to lift her arm. _Ugh, after last night, going to school is the last thing I want to do right now_, Anya thought as she stared at the ceiling, her pink blanket nuzzled up to her chin.

Suddenly, there was a sharp knock on Anya's door.

"Anya, time to get up. School!" her mother yelled through the door, rather coldly. Anya had to cover her ears, unable to handle her mother's high-pitched voice. _I guess I deserved that_, she thought. Bitchy was probably the tamest of words that Anya could use to describe how she treated her mother last night. Her mom was her best friend, even more so than Holly J, and yet she completely blew her off so that she could snort more cocaine and grind with some random tool.

"_I'm going out tonight," _Anya had announced to her mother last night.

"_On a school night?" _her mother had asked, confused at her daughter's lack of interest in her future. "_I thought we'd sit down and figure out what you want to do with your life!"_

_ "I don't care," _Anya had responded, a smug smile on her face that she would have slapped if she were her mother.

_"Anya, you're not leaving this house!" _her exasperated mother protested. Anya could still see the shock and hurt in her mom's eyes, her heart sinking every time she thought about it.

_"Watch me," _Anya had shot back, still smiling, as if nothing her mom was going to say would change her mind.

Anya put a pillow over her face, wanting it to stay dark so that she could just live in her room forever, and not have to face the people she had hurt, including Owen. She had asked to talk to him after his hockey tournament, and she knew he was doing her a favor by saying yes, given that he seemed pretty reluctant to even look at her. She had been treating him like crap lately. And did they talk? No, because Anya was too busy doing coke. And did Anya get into Hasselt University, her last chance of getting a college education after being rejected by Toronto University? No, because she chose to interview with the dean of admissions while on cocaine, ultimately scaring the dean away. Anya's life was falling apart, all thanks to a tiny plastic bag of white powder. Something that little and seemingly insignificant should not have such life-altering affects, but for somebody who doesn't have a tight hold of her life, it does. _I have a lot of apologizing to do_, Anya dreaded.

Anya begrudgingly forced herself out of bed and dragged herself into the shower, hoping to wash away her lies, regrets, and that awful cocaine hangover.

After showering and getting dressed in her dreary blue polo, khaki pants, and adding her own touch of a white cropped jacket, Anya headed downstairs to face her mother.

"Mom?" Anya called, walking into the kitchen, smelling waffles that were heating up in the toaster. "Where are you?" she called again.

She found her mom on the couch, still in her pajamas, watching the news. Anya had to leave in five minutes, and her mom wasn't even dressed yet?

"Uhh, hey mom. So, I gotta leave for school in like, five minutes, so…"

"Oh, I didn't tell you?" her mom asked, her eyebrows raised, confusing Anya even more. "You're walking to school. I figured walking all the way to Degrassi would help clear your head and help you straighten out your priorities, because obviously, there's something going on up there," pointing to her daughter's head.

"But, mom, it's like a thirty minute walk!" Anya protested, crossing her arms,

"Well, then I guess you better start walking!" her mother responded calmly, dawning the same smart-alic smile Anya wore the night before.

"Fine," Anya answered, her lips tight, afraid that she would say something she would regret, adding onto her long list of mistakes.

Without even saying goodbye, Anya grabbed her bag and started her long trek to Degrassi Community School. Anya was fuming so much, she could have warmed the crisp, cold air around her. _I guess I deserved that too_, she eventually reasoned. _Maybe this walk is a good idea. _Anya concluded that a car-ride with her mother would be more awkward than that guy who had tried grinding up on her last night at the club. Anya shuddered. His shirt was tighter than hers had been, and he wore enough hair gel to supply all of the guidos in the world.

Thinking about how lonely she felt in the crowded club yesterday while her head spun from the cocaine made her miss Owen even more, prompting Anya to step up the pace. She needed to talk to Owen. She needed to set things straight. Hopefully he was open-minded enough to listen to her, Anya worried.


	2. Confessions

Anya pushed open the double doors of Degrassi Community School and trampled through the metal detectors, trying to get through the large throng of students. Places where Owen could be sped through her mind. His locker? The weight room? The Boy's Locker room? Running out of time before class started, Anya decided to rush to his locker, figuring he was done with his morning weight training and grabbing his books.

She was determined to talk to him now, not wanting to wait until lunch to see him. For some reason, Anya thought that the longer she delayed talking to him, the more he would hate her.

She finally reached Owen's locker, but he was nowhere in sight. Standing up on her tippy-toes, she tried looking over fellow Panthers' heads, with no mop of messy brown hair in sight. Defeated, Anya walked a few feet over to her locker, sulkily grabbing the books she would need for her next three classes. The bright lights of the hallway were causing Anya's head to throb, resulting in her squinting at her locker. _Well this sucks_, Anya thought, hanging her purse on a metal hook.

Before slamming her locker door shut, Anya caught a glimpse of a series of pictures Anya and Owen had taken in a photo booth at the movies. While Owen thought it was a very cheesy and cliché thing to do, Anya was a classic romantic and a sucker for cute clichés. While her and Owen hadn't been dating long, they really seemed to have chemistry together. Anya studied the pictures, noticing how comfortable she looked with Owen's arm around her. She smiled at the picture of him giving her a peck on the cheek, making her more determined to fix things with him. Closing her locker door ever so lightly, given that Anya's head couldn't handle the crashing of metal, she spun on her heel and headed to Biology.

Spotting Holly J Sinclair and Fiona Coyne sitting in their usual seats in biology, Anya slipped into her chair behind Holly J.

"Hey, you!" Holly J chirped, turning around in her seat. Her red hair was adorned with a blue headband, and a string of pearls encircled her neck. Degrassi students had little leeway when it came to their wardrobe, but students always managed to add a few personal touches to express themselves. While Holly J pulled off the preppy look with ease, Fiona, who sat to Holly J's right, was a glam goddess, taking fashionista to a whole new level. With bright blue eye shadow to compliment her boring blue polo, and an intricate blue and yellow head wrap on her cascading brown hair, Fiona would turn anyone's head, male or female.

"Hey guys," Anya said, holding her face in her hands as her elbows rested on the desk.

"Don't you look…fantastic," Fiona added sarcastically, giving Anya a full body scan.

"Well, I look how I feel," Anya quipped, not wanting to hear it from the two of them. She loved them to death, but today, Anya felt like being anti-social. Plus, she knew they would bring up the one thing she didn't want to talk about.

"So?" Holly J said excitedly, wanting to hear good news. "How did your talk with the dean go? Did you get into Hasselt, Ms. University?" she asked enthusiastically, a huge smile on her freckled face, expecting the best of news from her friend.

_Ugh, I knew it_ Anya thought, dreading telling Holly J and Fiona the truth.

"Yeah, spill it girl!" Fiona urged, practically jumping up and down with excitement.

"Look, I really don't feel like talking about it," Anya complained, looking at her biology notes to show them her lack of interest in the conversation.

"You ok, hun?" Holly J asked, her eyes filled with concern.

"Not really. Look, I didn't get in, and I really don't feel like getting into the nitty-gritty details, k?" Anya answered, her eyebrows raised as a warning sign to Holly J to not pry further into the subject.

Before Holly J or Fiona could reply, the teacher began the lesson, prompting the students to pull out their journals and begin scribbling down notes on osmosis. For once, Anya was thankful for their biology teacher's dry lesson, because it kept her from talking about her messed up, or lack of a future. She really did not want to explain that she didn't get in because she was high during the interview, or that she went to a club, yet again, and was on coke, yet again. She didn't want to lose Holly J and Fiona's respect. She knew she already lost Owen's and possibly her mom's. She couldn't handle losing her best friends too.

Once biology was over, the three girls slung their bags on their shoulders, leaving the classroom. Anya was headed to English, Holly J to Government, and Fiona to Theatre.

"Lunch in the caf later on?" Holly J asked Anya and Fiona.

"Uhh, can't. Gotta study," Anya lied. She had to look for Owen, but she felt bad for blowing off her friends.

"Boo," Holly J teased. "Fi?" looking at Fiona hopefully.

"Sorry, I can't either! I'm meeting up with Eli to discuss the play. I'm keeping busy, busy, busy! Rain check?"

"Fine," Holly J dragged, looking disappointed but being a good sport by adding a smile. "For once I don't have a Student Council meeting, and you two are turning into me!" she teased.

"Sorry! Definitely later," Anya promised. She smiled t Holly J, not wanting to give her the impression that she didn't want to hang out with her. Holly J really was a good friend, and didn't deserve Anya's bad attitude.

"I'll hold you to that, missy," Holly J said, while turning away and heading to class. The three parted ways, and Anya walked over to English.

It seemed to take years to get through all her classes before lunch, but finally, the lunch bell rang, and Anya eagerly ran out of the classroom in search of Owen. Walking into the crowded lunchroom, Anya's nose was bombarded with the smell of French fries and pizza, causing her to feel sick to her stomach. Her brown eyes searched for Owen, suddenly spotting him eating with Drew Torres and a couple other buddies from the football team.

Their eyes met across the room, but Owen quickly averted his gaze, clearly showing Anya that he was not interested in talking to her. She took a deep breath and marched past all the lunch tables to where Owen was perched, using every ounce of courage she had to open her mouth.

"Hey," Anya said, making sure her tone showed just how sorry she was. Owen put down his ham and cheese sandwich, rolling his eyes.

"Hi," was all he said.

"Owen, can we please talk?" Anya pleaded, trying not to look at his friends who were obviously curious as to what was doing down.

"Fine. Five minutes," Owen replied, getting out of his seat and leading Anya into an empty stairwell so they could have some privacy.

Every step that Anya took seemed to echo in her head, nervous that Owen wouldn't have it and would break up with her. He didn't sign up to deal with a druggie, and she knew that, so she had to convince Owen that she wasn't a druggie and was still the girl he fell for.

Anya gulped as the two stood facing eachother, Owen prompting Anya to speak.

**What do you guys think so far? I felt so cruel ending the chapter at that point, but I figured it would keep you on your toes! Comments are always welcome! =D **


	3. Second Chances

Chapter 3: Second Chances

Anya's palms were sweating. Her nerves were getting the best of her. Her mouth hung open, but words didn't come out. She was searching for the right thing to say to Owen, but nothing was coming to mind. Meanwhile, Owen was just looking at her, waiting for her to say something. His feet shifted and he let out a sigh, clearly losing patience.

"Did you drag me from lunch to accomplish anything, or did you want us to have a staring contest," Owen asked, a hint of hostility present in his voice.

"No…..no, I wanted to talk." Anya cleared her throat and clutched the locket her mother had given to her, a habit she acquired whenever she was nervous. "I wanted to apologize to you. I feel like you've given me more chances than I deserve lately, but I'm coming to you for one more."

Owen simply looked at her, his angry eyes drilling into hers. He didn't want to hear her apologies.

"It's gonna take a lot more than apologies, Anya."

"I know, I know," she replied. "I haven't been myself lately. If you hadn't noticed, my life has slowly been falling apart. That guy I had told you apart is leaving for Africa and isn't the least bit interested in me, which really hurt me at the time but I'm now over it, I have no university to go to in the fall, so my future is shot, and my mom now hates me. In all this, you're the only one I can think of who can make it all better."

"The way you acted in the club the other day. It was a side of you I hadn't seen," Owen protested.

"That was just a kneejerk reaction. I couldn't handle one more person telling me what to do, so I retaliated. I shouldn't have," Anya answered, averting her gaze to the floor.

"That's not the only reason," Owen responded. Anya looked at him, knowing what was coming. "Cocaine."

"Yeah…" was all Anya could muster. What else could she say? She knew it was wrong, so there was no way she could defend herself. "I'm stopping. I know I did it a couple of times, and yeah, it felt good at the time, but it's turning me into something I'm not."

"That's what a lot of addicts say, but then they go right back to it. A kneejerk reaction." The way Owen repeated Anya's phrase stung, as if he was throwing back whatever she told him.

Owen put out his hand and motioned his fingers toward him, as if he wanted her to give him something.

"Give it," he commanded.

Not needing clarification, Anya slowly opened her mom's locket and pulled out a little bag of white powder. She knew it didn't look good that she was carrying the drugs on her person as she was trying to convince Owen that she was done with it. She quickly placed it in Owen's palm. Looking all around him to make sure nobody was watching, he stuffed the bag into his pocket.

"Please, flush it," Anya said. "I want it gone."

"Will do," Owen said seriously. A slight smile crept on his face, indicating to Anya that he was ready to start fresh.

She smiled up at Owen and threw her arms around him. The two kissed, filling Anya with happiness. She was so relieved that he forgave her. For a second there, she thought he was going to walk away, still disappointed in her even though she just spilled her heart out to him. But the goodness in Owen had shown through. Holly J and Fiona were so wrong about him. Outside of the tough guy demeanor that Owen gave off, he was really a sweet guy, and when he cared about someone, he really cared. He wasn't fake about anything, which was something that Anya needed. Dr. Chris had been so fake with her, leading Anya on for so long. Sav had even been fake at the beginning of the year, telling her that he wouldn't hide her from his parents, and literally a minute later, acted like she was something to be ashamed of and hid her away. Owen had nothing to hide, and Anya didn't want to hide anything from him.

Their lips parted, and Anya, still on her toes, whispered a quiet "Thank you" to Owen.

"Your welcome," he responded with a smile, his arms around her waist.

Anya and Owen, hand in hand, began walking towards the cafeteria. As they walked, Anya couldn't help but beam. This was the turn-around she needed. Finally, somebody was forgiving her. Somebody was giving her the chance she needed. They reached the table that Owen had been sitting at, and his friends made room for Anya. Although all seemed well and things were turning around, Anya couldn't keep her mind from slowly focusing on Owen's pocket. This shocked her.

_Anya, stop it_, she urged herself. Cocaine had done nothing for her well-being. In fact, it ruined her college career, and had potentially ended her relationship. Anya had to cut it out of her life for good.

But then, why couldn't she stop looking at his pocket?


	4. On Laundry and Interrogations

Chapter 4: On Laundry and Interrogations

Anya and Owen had made plans to hang out and watch movies together after school. Owen had hockey practice after school, so Anya decided to get a head start home to get the snacks and movies ready. _Although we're probably not going to eat or watch much of the movie… _Anya thought to herself, goose bumps forming up her arms.

Upon entering her house, Anya looked around for her mother, figuring she should get in her good graces if she wanted a boy to come over.

"Mom?" Anya called out, not wanting to replay their game of hide of seek from this morning.

"In here, hun!" her mom yelled out from the laundry room.

_She actually answered me, _Anya thought, pleased that she had already made some progress from this morning.

"Hey mom," Anya said, entering the laundry room. Anya seemed to instantly calm once she smelled the lavender fabric softener that her mom used. Piles of clean laundry were folded in laundry baskets. Anya noticed a basket of her clothes, and instantly felt guilty that she had been so bad to her mom, and yet she still did her laundry.

"Hi, Anya! How was school?" her mother asked. Anya was so confused at her mother's chipper attitude, which was miles from her dragon-lady attitude this morning.

"Uhhh, good! Great, actually. Got a lot of stuff done. And since I'm on a roll with getting stuff done today, I wanted to apologize for how I acted last night. It was totally wrong of me, and as my best friend and mom, you didn't deserve my attitude. I guess I was just upset about university and it was the last thing I wanted to talk about." Anya was fiddling with her necklace again, waiting for her mom, who had been folding laundry as Anya was talking, to reply.

Her mom set down the sheets she had been folding.

"It's ok. I gotta say, it was a shock, but I understand why you were stressed and upset. I shouldn't have pushed your future on you just then." Smiled and gave her daughter a long, strong hug. Once their embrace was over, she added, "But if you ever disobey me like that again, I'll hang you by your thumbs and make you eat lima beans for a month!" she joked, knowing how much Anya hated lima beans….and being hung by her thumbs.

Anya couldn't help but chuckle. Her mom always managed to get humor out of anything.

"For sure, I promise. And I am definitely open to talking about future plans" Anya assured, smiling form ear to ear.

"And the planets have aligned. Now, be a good little daughter and put the laundry away," her mom ordered playfully.

Anya proceeded to grab a basket of laundry and headed towards her room. Remembering something she needed to ask her mom, she ran back.

"Oh wait! I forgot, can a friend come over later? We were gonna watch movies and stuff," Anya asked, clutching the heavy basket of laundry.

"Sure, honey. Who might this friend be?"

"His name's Owen," Anya answered, knowing the interrogation would start right about now.

"Ahhhh, so it's a boy thing!" her mom said excitedly. "So? Tell me about him!"

"Mom," Anya complained.

"Oh, come on!"

"He's just a boy from school, who I really like, and I would really appreciate it if my sweet, caring, wonderful mother wouldn't embarrass me in front of him!" Anya answered with a smile that could make anyone listen to her.

"Fine. If I embarrass you that much," her mom teased. "But I insist on meeting him, and then I'll have an impromptu grocery run."

"Thanks, mom!" Anya beamed, turning around to put her laundry away.

A couple of hours later, Anya heard the doorbell ring from her bedroom. She threw her magazine down and sprinted towards the door, hoping to beat her mother.

To no avail, her mom had beaten her to the door, and was already chatting up a storm with Owen. Her mom was good at combining friendly small talk with interrogation questions, all while seeming nicer then the Easter Bunny, who's pretty darn nice. All the while, Owen was politely answering the questions with a little smile on his face. _The perfect gentleman_, Anya mused, wanting more then over for her mom to stop talking.

Once the interrogation was over, her mom theatrically looked at her watch.

"My, look at the time! I have to go _get groceries_," putting an emphasis on "get groceries". Anya had to force herself to not smack her own forehead in embarrassment. All Anya could think was that she was glad her mom didn't take up acting as a career.

Anya quickly grabbed her mom's purse and car keys.

"Here ya go! Take your time! Really there's no rush, bye!" Anya yelled, practically pushing her mom out the door.

"Well she's nice," Owen said, obviously noting how overly nice she was.

"Yeah, a little too nice," Anya responded, adding a little chuckle.

"I see where you get your charm," Owen teased as he snaked his arms around her, giving her a kiss that made Anya's face red with fluster.

Anya finally pulled away, catching her breath.

"So, I picked out movies! You pick." She shuffled over to a pile of dvd's. "Your options are _A Walk to Remember_, _The Breakfast Club_, _PS I love You,_ or _The Last Song_."

Owen stared at the array of films, not looking very enthusiastic about any of the choices.

"What great choices…" he teased. Anya smacked him on the arm.

"Hey! These are all wonderful movies. Only someone with exquisite taste could have picked these out."

"I'm sure," he answered, eyeing her playfully. "You pick."

"Hmmmm. I think today is a _Breakfast Club _kind of day."

Owen was relieved, because of all of them, that one seemed like it had the most substance.

"Sounds good," Owen responded, plopping himself on the couch. Anya put the movie in the dvd player, and snuggled next to Owen.

As he put his arm around her, Anya's hand brushed over his sweatshirt pocket. She heard the slight crinkle of plastic, and Anya wondered if it was what she thought it was. _He still has the coke_, Anya discovered. For whatever given reason, Anya had the sudden urge to take it from his pocket, forgetting everything that she had accomplished today.

Knowing that she would make a horrible pickpocket, she had to think of a way to distract Owen. Without saying anything, she grabbed Owen's face and started kissing him, much to his surprise. As she kissed him, her hand slowly crept into his sweatshirt pocket. She grabbed the little baggy and slipped it into the back pocket of her pants.

Owen pulled away, breathless.

"Wow," he breathed.

"Couldn't help it," Anya smiled, enjoying the boyish smirk on Owen's face.

Completely forgetting about the movie, they leaned in to kiss again.

All the while, as Anya's heart was pounding, in the back of her mind, she couldn't help but feel proud and relieved that she had gotten the drugs back.

What was happening to her?

(**Dun dun dun. What do you guys think thus far? Anya's really good at making bad choices, isn't she? I hope the story isn't getting too boring, cause I haven't gotten to the really good stuff yet! But don't worry, I'll be typing away and I'll keep the story coming! Sorry I've been taking so long! Comments are appreciated! Thanks guys! 3 ) **


	5. Slides

Chapter 5: Slides

Anya swung back and forth on an old swing set in her neighborhood. She used to play at this park all the time when she was younger, swinging and sliding until the sun went down and it was time for dinner. Anya sighed. _God, it was so easy back then_, she thought, watching the sun meet the horizon.

She looked over at the blue slide to her left, and suddenly had a flashback. Anya was five years old, and her mom was watching her as she was at the top of the slide.

"Mommy, look!" Anya had squeaked in her adolescent voice. She then jumped into the slide and slid to the bottom, except instead of planting her feet at the bottom upon landing, she fell and scraped her knee. Once the pain registered, Anya's little face contorted and she started wailing. Instantly, her mom ran over, and held Anya.

"It's ok, baby. Everything's going to be ok. Mommy's going to take care of you," her mom coaxed, wiping away Anya's tears.

Thirteen years later, and everything was so different. Back then, Anya's biggest problems were that she scraped her knee at the park, or somebody took her crayons. Now her problems were where she was going with her life and a little plastic bag, and there was nothing mommy could do to make it better.

Anya opened up her sweaty palm that she had been clutching. Dirt appeared in the creases of her hand from the sweat. She stared down at the bag of cocaine in her hand. Tears streaked her face as she leaned her head on the swing's chain. The sky was now a purplish blue, darkness approaching.

Had it really come to this? Drugs? Lies? Stealing from her boyfriend? Anya thought she had gotten better, but nothing had changed. She was still insecure and unsure of herself. She was terrified that she had no future, that she was not headed to success and happiness the way people like Holly J and Sav were. They had their talents, their universities. What did Anya have? A bag of cocaine. It was the only thing that could make her feel better. Even better than Owen.

Owen was, of course, so good to her, and knew how to say the right things to lighten the mood and make Anya feel more confident about the future, but Anya just couldn't believe that there was hope for her. Her hope had run out a long time ago. She had been driven to the edge, the brink. She was at the end of her wits. It was time to turn to a new source of happiness.

Anya dug her feet into the wood chips to keep herself steady on the swing. She opened the bag and lightly sprinkled the cocaine onto the back of her hand. _I'm sorry Owen, I'm sorry mommy_, Anya thought, knowing she was letting the people she loved down. Holding her hand up to her nose, she snorted it back, blinking her watery eyes rapidly. She let out a long breath as she began to calm down. She closed her eyes, leaning her head on the chain again as she waited for the cocaine to take its effect.

Suddenly feeling like she could take on any task, as if nothing could bring her down, Anya got up from the swing set. She started running towards the jungle-jim, climbing up the ladder in two steps, whereas when she was younger it was more challenging. Anya couldn't tell if the easiness of climbing the jungle-jim came from her longer legs, or her high. Not caring, she skipped over to the slide. She slid through, literally taking her two seconds to reach the ground. Exuding pride, she planted her feet on the ground and pumped her fists in the air.

"Take that, slide!" she yelled, smiling from ear to ear. _See, I can overcome obstacles_, she thought happily. Suddenly bored of the slide, she skipped over to the middle of the soccer field next to the park and plopped down on her back, staring up at the stars. As she was staring, her mind began to wander, and suddenly, not knowing why, Anya began to laugh. Uncontrollable laughs shook through her body, and Anya had no intention to stop it. This happiness, this high, was so much better than her misery in the real world. She wanted to enjoy this happy world that she knew so little of.

Little did Anya know, her free will had just blown away in the crisp evening wind. The happiness she was feeling was artificial. There was nothing real from cocaine. Nothing real at all. She was now a captive, a prisoner. She was chained down to the ground by drugs, and the key was nowhere to be found.

**Dark, huh? Let me know what you guys think! Again, sorry for being super late on the update! My job is taking up all my time! Lol xo **

**Ps – I wrote this chapter during a pretty intense thunderstorm. The intensity of the storm really inspired the darkness of this chapter. =) **


	6. Chapped Lips and Alleyways

Chapter 6: Chapped Lips and Alleyways

The halls of Degrassi filtered out as students headed home, to after school activities, or to hang out with friends at the local hang outs. Anya was doing none of the above. She had an agenda, as did all addicts. She needed to find Bianca DeSousa. Bianca was her ticket into the real world of drugs. The occasional snort wasn't doing it for Anya anymore.

Anya grabbed all of the books she would need for homework and shut her locker door. As she turned to head out the double doors, she felt a firm, welcoming hand grab her waist.

The hand quickly turned her around, and before she could even say anything, Owen's lips were tangled with hers. She slowly melted into him, forgetting her important agenda to find Bianca. Kissing her, Owen trapped Anya against her locker, his hands on her waist.

Owen finally pulled away, leaving Anya feeling bittersweet, because she didn't want the moment to end, but being able to breath was nice too.

"Hi," Owen whispered, his forehead on Anya's.

"Hi," she whispered back, eyes beaming into his. She couldn't help but smile like an idiot when Owen was around.

"So, I wanted to let you know that I had a _great _time watching whatever it was we watched yesterday at your place," Owen flirted, alluding to the fact that the two hours that the movie ran were not spent watching the movie. Anya and Owen found making out a much better use of their time.

Anya chuckled. "Well, there's more where that came from," she teased, leaning in for another kiss. _Oh my God I could do this all day_, Anya thought as they kissed. Then she remembered her plan. Suddenly she straightened up, pulling away from Owen.

Confusion flooded Owen's eyes, as he wondered why Anya would possibly pull away so abruptly.

"My lips are feeling kinda chapped," Anya said, grabbing the first excuse that came to mind. At least it was kind of believable.

"Ahhh, my bad," Owen joked, running his thumb over her lips. The goose bumps on Anya's arms were so prominent, she was sure students across the hallway would be able to see them. "So what were you planning on doing after school today?" Owen asked.

Anya froze, hoping Owen wasn't going to suggest that they hang out. She really didn't want to waste any time. She knew where Bianca hung out after school, and she didn't want to miss her. _Think of an excuse Anya! Come on, think!_

Anya began to open her mouth, when Owen continued.

"Cause I gotta practice my fight moves with Drew and some buddies. Gotta be able to protect my girl," he winked.

Anya let out a subtle sigh of relief.

"Awww, how sweet of you," Anya replied, slipping her arms around his neck. "Well, while you're bulking up your muscles, I'm going to be bulking up my brain at the library. Gotta study, study, study!" _And there's my alibi_, Anya thought.

"Mmm, put on a pair of glasses and you'll have that sexy librarian thing goin' on" Owen joked, using his very effective flirty eyes. Anya would swear on her life that he used them to his advantage.

"Ha, ha. So, now I see what you like," Anya replied, hitting him playfully on the arm. They both laughed.

"Yeah, you should be taking notes!" Owen teased. "Ok, in all seriousness now, I gotta go, or Drew is gonna go all Jackie Chan on me."

Owen gave Anya a quick kiss goodbye, and headed towards the gym.

Waiting until Owen was out of sight, Anya slung her bag over her shoulder and headed out into the bright sunlight. Anya knew exactly where Bianca would be.

Everyday after school, Bianca would head over to Above the Dot and hang out by the stairs in the back alley with a bunch of sketchy people. The exact kind of sketchy people that Anya needed to get cocaine from.

Anya cautiously walked into the alley leading to Above the Dot. While Anya was already nervous about taking to Bianca and her "posse", the fact that it got ten times darker when she walked in the alley made her want to turn around and forget about this preposterous idea.

She slowly approached the old, creaky stairs that led up to Above the Dot, but none of the group of around five people noticed her. Anya stood there and thought out what she was doing and the odds of them actually giving her her fix. Before she even had time to change her mind and go home, one of them noticed her.

Wearing a t-shirt and the baggiest grey sweatpants Anya had ever scene, the guy towered over her, making Anya feel like a little mouse being cornered by a lion.

"Eh, look what we got here, guys!" he smirked, giving Anya a full body scan. Suddenly, Anya regretted wearing her khaki skirt, concluding that she should have opted for pants. "What'chu doin' here, princess? Got lost or somethin'?" he asked, nodding his head toward her, prompting Anya to speak.

"I….I uh…..well…" Anya muttered, her mind racing for something to say. _Come on! _Not only did Anya feel like a mouse, she also felt like a stupid mouse. Anya stepped back, but he stepped forward. He was so close Anya was sure he could hear her heart beating as fast as she should have been running.

"Hey, back off Vince!" Bianca yelled, coming out from behind him. Anya let out a sigh of relief seeing someone she knew. Although Bianca still frightened her, she didn't frighten Anya as much as this Vince guy did. He seemed like bad news.

Vince turned around, now towering over Bianca. "And what if I don't want to? You better not talk to me like that again, bitch," Vince threatened, poking his finger hard into her chest. Anya saw the fear in Bianca's eyes. Something was telling Anya that Bianca and Vince weren't friends, and Bianca didn't freely choose to hang out with him. _What's going on here, _Anya wondered.

"She's my friend, and I say, leave her alone," Bianca shot back. Her voice was firm but it still had a touch of fear infused in it. Anya was taken aback by Bianca's response, because both of them knew that they weren't friends. They had hung out at a club once, but Anya was pretty sure that didn't constitute friendship. Bianca turned to Anya. "What are you doing here?" she asked, crossing her arms.

"Well," Anya cleared her through. "Well, I was wondering if you could uh, hit me up with some _cocaine_," Anya requested. She made an effort to whisper cocaine, not wanting the others to hear her. Bianca chuckled.

"Girl, you don't gotta whisper," Vince said, shaking his head, looking at Anya like she was nuts. "We all part of the same game, princess" he continued, motioning his arms towards the entire group. "I know guys who could hook you up," he winked. Anya had a feeling "hook you up" meant more than giving her cocaine.

"No, Vince. She's not getting involved with you or any of your people," Bianca spat. She turned back to Anya and pursed her lips, smiling in a know-it-all kind of way. "So little, goody-two shoes Macpherson has become a coke-head? Never thought I'd see the day," she laughed.

Anya plucked up some courage. "Look, I just want some coke, no questions asked. And I'm not a goody-two-shoes. Not anymore, at least."

"You sure you know what you're getting yourself into?" Bianca asked, "cause it could lead down a bad road," she warned.

"Man, just give her the damn coke, B!" Vince yelled. "Look who's bein' a goody-two-shoes now!" he scoffed, taking a hit of what Anya thought was weed.

"I know what I'm getting into, and I can handle it," Anya said sternly, holding her ground. Her palms were getting sweaty from gripping her bag so hard.

Bianca rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Let's see how long you last, Macpherson. I have a strict, deal pot only rule, but I know someone who could hook you up. You got a pen?" she asked.

Anya quickly opened her bag and sifted through binders and notebooks, finally finding a blue pen. She handed it to Bianca who proceeded to write a phone number down on Anya's palm.

Once Bianca was done, Anya looked at her hand, and saw the name "Chloe" scrawled above the number.

"Just give her a call," Bianca nodded toward Anya's hand. "Set up a time and meeting place and you're good to go. And bring cash, she ain't cheap." Bianca pressed her lips together, hands on her hips. After standing there for a good ten seconds, she gave Anya an impatient look. "What are you still doing here?"

Anya took that as her cue to leave. She quickly said thanks and got out of there as quick as she could.

"Yo, princess, why don't you come back and give Vince a visit," Vince yelled after her, giving Anya the chills.

Finally glad to be out of that alley and exposed to people who could be witnesses if she got murdered, Anya looked at her hand again, dialing the number into her phone.

Placing the phone to her ear, she listened to the phone ring, her insides craving for another fix. _Ring, Ring, Ring._

**Aren't you dying for more? Let me know what you think! Sorry for being so bad about updating, I've been working and getting ready to go back to college. And who thinks that Ownya is one of the cutest couples ever? I thought Monday's episode was ADORABLE lol. So, I hope you've been enjoying the story so far! I promise, I'll be better about updating xoxo**


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